Post by Bonobo on Oct 7, 2017 19:37:18 GMT 1

Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle (Ukrainian: Кам'янець-Подільська фортеця; Polish: twierdza w Kamieńcu Podolskim; Russian: Каменец-Подольская крепость; Turkish: Kamaniçe Kalesi) is a former Ruthenian-Lithuanian[5] castle and a later three-part Polish fortress[6][7][8] located in the historic city of Kamianets-Podilskyi, Ukraine, in the historic region of Podolia in the western part of the country. Its name is attributed to the root word kamin', from the Slavic word for stone."

Its location on a strategic transport crossroad in Podolia made the castle a prime target for foreign invaders, who rebuilt the castle to suit their own needs,[11] adding to its multicultural architectural diversity. Specifically, the complex consists of the Old Town fortified by King Casimir IV, the Old Castle rebuilt by Kings Sigismund I and Stephen Báthory, and the New Castle founded by Kings Sigismund III and Władysław IV.[6] However, in spite of the many architectural and engineering changes to the original structure, the castle still forms a coherent architectural design,[12][13] being one of the few medieval constructions in Ukraine that is relatively well preserved.[14]

See the siege of the Polish castle by the Turkish army in 17 century, recalled eagerly today by hurra-patriots who oppose Muslim immigrants

Post by Bonobo on Nov 18, 2017 23:33:14 GMT 1

In the 15th century, the castle was changed from being a defense point, to simply a getaway for aristocracy.

In 1605, the castle was bought by the nobleman Jan Daniłowicz h. Sas, a wealthy local landowner and Voivode of the Ruthenian Voivodeship. It was then sold to the family of Koniecpolski. The new owners, whose main residence was in Zhovkva, treated the castle poorly, and only in 1682 the castle was renovated by Jan III Sobieski, who bought the complex from Stanislaw Koniecpolski for 400 000 zlotys. In early 18th century, Olesko was bought by the family of Rzewuski, and its collection of antiques was moved to another castle the Rzewuscy owned, Pidhirtsi Castle.

The castle is perhaps most famous for being the birthplace of the Polish king Jan III Sobieski, the hero of the Battle of Vienna. He often lived there, and collected many of the artworks displayed in the present-day museum. Another Polish king, King Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki, was also born here.[citation needed] It is also said that Bohdan Khmelnytskyi, the most prominent leaders of Ukrainian Cossacks spent his childhood years here.

The castle was restored again, beginning in 1961 and lasting until 1985. Today, it is a museum, displaying the collections of antique furnishings and art dating from the 16th-17th centuries. It also features sculptures, paintings, still lives, applied arts, tapestries, period weapons, and objects used in everyday life at the time. Its collection is regarded as one of the richest treasury of Polish art outside borders of Poland.

Krevo witnessed the signing of the Union of Krevo in 1385 that initiated the ever closer union of Poland and Lithuania that led to Poland’s Golden Age. www.belarus.by

People from all over Belarus are responding to an internet appeal to bring stones to the town of Krevo to help restore a 14th-century castle that is a key site in Polish history.

Krevo castle is where the Union of Krevo was signed in 1385, which initiated the ever closer union of Poland and Lithuania leading to Poland’s Golden Age.

The agreement also resolved a passionate royal love triangle involving Poland’s Queen Jadwiga, Duke William of Habsburg and Grand Duke Jagiełło of Lithuania.

Over 600 years after the signing of the historic agreement, the stone castle near the Lithuanian border found itself in a sorry condition. Therefore, work to restore it started last year as part of a nationwide project called Castles of Belarus, which plans to restore 38 castles across the country at of cost of around 131 billion Belarusian roubles (PLN 57 million).Many of the castle’s stone went missing after it was badly damaged in the First World War.Gleb Labadzenka/Facebook

The union was actually a set of promises preceding the marriage of Queen Jadwiga to the pagan Lithuanian ruler Jagiełło. Jadwiga was engaged to William of Habsburg at the time, but Polish nobles believed that her marriage to Jagiełło would better protect Poland from the Teutonic Knights to the north.

When the union was being signed in Krevo, 14-year-old Willian headed to Kraków to consummate his engagement to the 12-year old Queen in her Wawel bed chamber. However, Polish nobles headed him off and banned him from the castle. Not to be outdone, the precocious child-queen is said to have taken an axe to smash down the Wawel gates to get to her beloved duke. Although the story cannot be verified, there is no doubt that the Union of Krevo sealed one relationship but broke another.